Monday, April 27, 2009

On the 26th, Korean police officials issued a warrant of arrest for actress Yoon Sul Hui (28) and model Yeh Hak Young (26) for smuggling drugs into Korea from Japan. Among the people charged to have received drugs from the two mentioned above, is actor Joo Ji Hoon, best known for his roles in the drama Goong and movie The Naked Kitchen. Joo Ji Hoon was hauled to the police station for questioning. The last update was that Joo Ji Hoon has admitted to the charges against him.

According to the police, Ms. Yoon and others were paid about 100,000,000 won since August 2007 for the smuggling of drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine. It was discovered during the investigation that Ms. Yoon would hide the drugs in her underclothes after obtaining them in Japan. The drugs would then travel through different people and Mr. Yeh, who happened to be the 3rd point of transfer. His drugs were then sold throughout clubs in Kang Nam and to his acquaintances.

Joo Ji Hoon began to associate himself with the two around March 2008 and has been charged by the police, for being involved in the 2nd point of transfer of the drugs. A police representative stated, "This is the first time that celebrities are directly involved in the buying and selling of drugs. We are expanding the scope of our investigations and expect to discover more people selling the drugs beneath the sponsor.

Credit Source: allkpop.com

* This is why I always said... nothing is perfect, and I guess the reason for JJH involving him self with this crime is because he want to tell us that he has the evil sides too. I adore him as an actor beside he really are a great one. I won't just blame him for doing wrong even that I actually hate those kind of things but sometimes we have to accept the fact that he is just a person with a lot of flaw.

There is still a lot of room for him to change and to improved... sometimes reality just scared us... Just hope he learn his lessons and I really hope that the netizens give him a chance rather than killing his carrier. Killing the carrier means giving him another reason to do more bad things... I don't want to loose another greats actors.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The producers of MBC’s ‘Sunday Sunday Night - We Got Married’ has given the reason for the mass substitution of the 4 existing couples on the show as, “they did not manage to portray the realism of actual married life”.

Other than Jung Hyungdon/Tae Yeon who already decided to leave the show as Jung Hyungdon has recently announced that he is in a relationship; Junjin/Lee Shi Young, Kang In/Lee Yoon Ji and Shin Sung Rok/Kim Shin Young will end their status as ‘married couples’ after the 3rd May episode of WGM. There will be two new couples joining the show after that.

About the new couples, spokesperson from the production team said, “They will have to be couples who can truly show what married life is really about.” In other words, even though the 4 couples were role-playing, they weren’t able to demonstrate a sense of realism.

“The couples now feel more like they’re dating instead of being married.” WGM started out with the objective of simulating married life, but the show has increasingly received comments that the couples on the show behave more like dating couples instead of married couples.

Although they go on dates and complete missions together, we no longer see situations such as those of Crown J/Seo In Young or Jung Hyung Don/Saori where they get mad at each other for their behaviour and argue. Some netizens have also commented that the couples are more concerned with their image and how they are being seen by viewers, and as a result they come across as being unnatural.

In the end WGM has chosen to go back to the basics and the original objective of the show. The existing couples will not be going on farewell trips/missions and will just exit the show directly, which is the production team’s way of showing how real married couples would be like if they part, since divorced couples in real life don’t break up and go travelling together because they can’t bear to part.

Fantasies of love will now be replaced by the realities of married life, and it remains to be seen what changes the new couples will bring to WGM.

Source: SPN Edaily

Trans: midnightgirl13@absolutshinhwa.wordpress.com

* After reading this... I really feel like saying *&^%#$$^&*!!!

Wasn't the person who create all this unrealistic marriage is the PD itself?!

Why blaming on the couple. I seriously believe that non of the couples are ready to leave even if the marriage is fake but still leaving without saying goodbye to the audience is something cruel. Besides wasn't the PD who script everything should take the blame?

Do I agree with the real couple to be in this show? I don't know... I don't think they'll show us the real marriage either. Their relationship might getting worse because the netizen words sometimes are scarier then the reporter.

This is the reason why WGM is no more entertain... I miss the old seasons T T

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Top star Jo In-Seong has entered military service as a pilot! He is in the air force division.Jo's official air force pictures have been taken and we can see him as a serious soldier serving the country.He will be trained for 5 weeks to enter the official Air Force base where he will be staying for 25 months.

* Finally he's in. Each time our fav. actors get in there they'll return with something new something worth to wait. So I believe that no matter what they do as long as they're doing it for their country and for their self it's great. But owh... I'll miss him for sure ^^

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

After a frentic week involving who was staying and leaving We Got Married,it was announced that all 4existing couples will now depart the show. The producers for the show announced that the sudden decision to cut all 4 couples were taken just this past weekend. The final episode for all 4 couples will be aired on 3rd May with the new couples coming in on 10th May."

Jung Hyung Don - Tae Yeon and Shin Sung Rok - Kim Shin Young couples had already given notice that they were leaving the show before the weekend with JunJin - Lee Si Young, Kangin - Lee Yoon Ji couples now following them as well out of the show. And unlike the previous season couples, the 4 couples will not have a farewell mission because they have enough filmed material which will be edited accordingly.

The number of couples on the show will also be reduced from 4 to just two and given 60 minutes. The production team explained, "As this was a sudden decision, we are still in the process of selecting the new couples. The new couples will be formed on the basis of being able to give an accurate portrayal of married life just like in reality."

Credit Source: JpopAsia

* It was sad... but seriously I do think that after the original couple, there is no sparks on the show anymore. So what the point of watching it. It wasn't the same as before, when it was the original couple I keep checking for the new episode and I'll be eager to know what happened next. I think the show wasn't effective now so they should just start a new project.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Yoo Jang-ho, the head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon’s agency at the time of her suicide, was arrested without detention yesterday on a charge of defaming the head of Jang’s former agency.

Jang Ja-yeon's former manager

Lee Myeong-gyun, a senior police officer in charge of the investigation at the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, said during a press briefing that the police booked Yoo on a charge of defaming Kim Sung-hoon by leaking the existence of a document, which was written by Jang, to the media.

On behalf of Kim, his sister and lawyer filed a defamation suit against Yoo on March 25. “We are assuming that Yoo let the media know of the document’s existence in order to denounce Kim with the excuse of helping Jang,” said Lee.

The officer also said that it was difficult for the police to press charges of defamation against Jang.

The bereaved family filed a defamation lawsuit against Yoo on March 17. Jang’s older brother sued three people for defaming the late actress. Two others were reporters from the Korean Broadcasting System.

The police said they would decide whether to seek a detention warrant or not against Yoo as soon as Kim is extradited from Japan. “We believe that the nature of Kim’s crime is more serious than Yoo’s. It is not right to press criminal charges against Yoo first as Kim has not been prosecuted,” Lee said.

Kim, who allegedly forced Jang to serve drinks and sex to high-profile figures, has not returned to Korea since he fled to Japan last December.

Lee added that the police are still questioning suspected figures who exploited Jang in room salons in the Gangnam area, southern Seoul. The police did not identify who they were. (Joong Ang Daily)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

This is the second time Hyun Joong collapses due to his overworking and lack of sleep. I know it was great to know that such a young men working hard and dedicated to his work. But isn't too much when he did not realize that his body is weakening everyday due to his unbelievable overworking.

Okay... I guess nowadays youngster started to take our Rain as their role model...

but they should know how their role model take care of their health at least I never heard or read about Rain fainted while working... or have I miss something?

I should say that it was good that he was admitted to hospital... this is the only chance for him to get some rest and recovered all his energy. Hope that he will be back in a good condition.

Friday, April 3, 2009

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- Some loved it, some despised it. But no one will deny KBS TV drama "Boys over Flowers" became an unprecedented phenomenon in South Korea's television industry.

Since its first episode aired on Jan. 5, the series found itself at the center of a storm of rumors and controversy: one of its actresses committed suicide, all four main actors were injured in car accidents while rushing through a tight schedule and the show received several warnings from the media watchdog for excessive product placement and vulgar depiction of teenagers. To top it off, the series was repeatedly and harshly criticized for its "unrealistic and silly" plot.

But fans stuck with the 25-part series, which recorded an average 30 percent viewer rating at home and was sold to 11 Asian countries including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. "We could do better if we were to make the drama all over again," said Bae Jong-byung, the drama's planning director, in a recent interview. "But we are quite satisfied with what we achieved the first time. We managed to create a brand new type of drama."

"Boys…" is based on a 37-volume Japanese "manga" series which was serialized in a bi-weekly magazine there from 1992 through 2003. Receiving a top manga award in 1996, the hit comic series has already been adapted into TV dramas in Japan and Taiwan. The story centers on a working-class girl and four scions of wealthy families who call themselves the "Flower Four (F4)." While struggling to survive in an elite school of rich students, the young girl finds herself falling in love with the group's curly haired leader, who undergoes a transformation sparked by the relationship.

Despite a weak plot and flawed story line, fans say the Korean version still presented the "greatest eye pleasure" among the three adaptations thanks mostly to the show's four main actors. "I loved the comic books back in middle school and was delighted that the TV characters matched my imagination perfectly," said 27-year-old office worker Lee Ja-young. "Despite all its shortcomings, the Korean version has the best looking actors and I was happy just at the sight of them."

Including Lee Min-ho, who starred as the F4 leader, the four actors were relatively new faces before becoming major stars within a few weeks of the drama's first episode. "Our main focus was to cast the most handsome, cutest and freshest F4, and keep them that way throughout the show," said director Bae. "Everything else came after that."

Fans idolized members of the F4 like pop groups on stage and appeared ready to forgive their awkward acting and the show's weak plot that went from strange to stranger as the series wore on. "The drama could never have earned so much popularity if F4 had been any less attractive," said Nam Sung-eh, 30. "Women want to look at pretty actors and fantasize about them: just as men do about actresses."

The show's popularity also managed to attract fans from across generations, with mothers and daughters able to share in the joy of seeing their favorite F4 member on screen. "They were adorable," says Lim Mi-young, whose daughter attends middle school. "It felt strange but pleasant to watch the series with my daughter and discuss who was the cutest among the four."

The show's portrayal of high school students has been another source of controversy. Manipulative youngsters who use compromising photos taken in hotel beds to blackmail one another or drive cars and go clubbing, with classes unattended for days during extended holidays to exotic islands is not reflective of the typical South Korean teen, critics say.

There were also a number of unexplained plot twists between episodes, with characters appearing and disappearing seemingly at random. Fans of the show dismiss the criticisms and defend the show's tendency to depart from the reality of everyday life. "Fiction is, after all" they say, "fiction." "I hated it," one blogger posted on a local Web portal. "It seems to me that producers of this drama have no idea how to create a plausible plot and characters. I was disgusted looking at teenagers making out in the middle of the day, driving cars and drinking."

"Who says drama has to be realistic?" refuted another. "I actually loved the drama so much more for its silliness. It helped me escape from the reality and forget my problems for a while. The last thing I want is a head-scratcher of a drama." The weak story was largely a product of the drama's tight shooting schedule, producers said. "With the actors and actresses becoming so popular and busy, we had a hard time mapping out schedules that work for everyone," the drama's main producer Jun Ki-sang said. "While the plot might not have been dense enough, we did our best to create visually impressive scenes. Being a fantasy, I think audiences were ready to overlook some of the logical flaws as long as they liked what they were seeing."

As the drama's popularity surged, everything F4 members ate, held and wore became hot items. Sales of the main character Jun-pyo's (Lee Min-ho) favorite snack doubled while his curly top has now become the latest fashion trend. Companies poured in money to secure placements for their products in the series, while members of the F4 became the "most wanted" among advertising models. "My teenage sister demanded that my parents buy her a mobile phone the F4 carry around in the series although she already has a decent phone," said college student Lee Yun-ha. " I would have probably done the same if I had liked the show half as much as she did, seeing as it was virtually everywhere in the show."

With critics slamming the drama's producers as "gold diggers," the Korea Communications Standards Commission issued a warning against the show for its excessive product placement, or PPL, a widely-known advertisement method among local television producers.

The show's producers shot back. "At first, we had a hard time finding firms and broadcasters willing to fund the production costs, especially because the show lacked big name actors," director Bae said. "With each episode costing nearly 300 million won (US$220,000) to make, we had no other means but to rely on advertising fees." "With the Japanese and Taiwanese versions already a hit throughout Asia, we needed more money to create flashier and more sensational scenes," he added. "This was why we did overseas filming despite the tight budget and schedule."

Despite its obvious frailty, "Boys…" proved big name actors, playwrights and directors are no longer essential in creating a hit series, signaling new hope for a local TV industry struggling with tightening budgets and a limited number of stars. But thorough preparation will be essential for the second and third generation of such dramas, experts say. "I regret the fact we did not have more time to spend on the scenario and the overall story," producer Jun said. "Everything was new to us as it was to viewers and we panicked. We hope we can manage to create something of a better quality next time."

Dubbing the drama "an unexpected jackpot," media critic Kang Myung-suk said producers should learn to be more patient in creating high-quality products. "'Boys...' could pull it off because it was the first of its kind, but viewers may not be so easily fooled next time," he said. "Instead of focusing on short-term profits, producers should really think about spending more time, money and effort in creating something better."